Gov. Wes Moore said he does not have a “personal beef” with President Donald Trump, but he underlined Tuesday his critiques of the White House’s effect on Maryland.
“The assault that we’ve now had on the state of Maryland has been aggressive, has been intentional, it’s been petty, it’s been partisan and it’s been punishing,” Moore, a Democrat, said Tuesday at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Speaking with David Rubenstein during the keynote of Impact Maryland, a thought leadership conference hosted by The Banner, Moore noted some of the federal government’s impacts on the state, including Maryland’s loss of 15,000 federal jobs.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Rubenstein quizzed Moore on personal questions — from his daily routine to his shaved head — and on his reelection campaign, the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild and how he seeks to attract businesses to Maryland.
Moore spent a day last week in Boston, he said, talking to biotech companies about relocating to Maryland, and he applauded the private sector for generating jobs in the state.
“The things I’m obsessed with is, we’ve gotta get our economy focused on growth and we’ve gotta get our economy focused on diversification,” Moore said.
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Moore criticized Trump’s use of the National Guard in U.S. cities, a practice he considers “deeply offensive” to military members.
“There is this fetishization of military uniforms,” he said.
Rubenstein, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist who led a group that bought the Orioles last year, asked Moore who he expects to face in the 2026 gubernatorial general election. Moore said he doesn’t know who he’ll face — name-dropping potential candidates Ed Hale, Larry Hogan and Andy Harris — but said: “The only thing I’ll say to them is, ‘I hope you come ready.’”
Rubenstein also asked Moore when he expects the Key Bridge, which was knocked down by a wayward container ship last year, to be rebuilt. Moore declined to provide a timeline, but said he wants to be the one to cut the ribbon and walk over the rebuilt span.
“My commitment is that I want this bridge completed during our time,” said Moore, whose term lasts until January 2027, though he’s seeking another four years.
The bridge is expected to cost just under $2 billion and be completed in October 2028. However, the Maryland Transportation Authority said months ago that it would soon provide an updated timeline and budget.
In fielding questions about his job as governor, Moore said he loves his current job.
“I would never go to Washington,” he said. “I have no desire to be a senator or a congressperson.”
Rubenstein asked if there’s “no job” in Washington he covets, an apparent reference to the presidency. Moore replied, “I love what I do.”
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